MOBILE, Ala. -- 20th-ranked Kentucky plated six runs in top of the eighth Sunday afternoon to break open a close game and win the championship of the 23rd Annual Coca-Cola Classic, 10-3, over South Alabama. The Jaguars and Wildcats set up the undefeated matchup by winning morning games, 6-5 over Xavier and 13-3 over Fairfield, respectively.
South Alabama (2-1) jumped out to a first-inning lead with a pair of unearned runs. Ray Kruml opened the game by reaching on an error then advanced to third on a stolen base and wild pitch. He scored when Chris Davis singled through the right side of the infield. A second infield error on a fielder's choice put runners on first and second when Ryan Bohanan singled to left, driving in Davis.
Kentucky (3-0) responded with three runs in the second, one of which was unearned, and an unearned run in the third for a 4-2 advantage, before the Jaguars threatened in the fourth. Ryne Jernigan singled and scored on an RBI double to left by McCrory. But three straight batters could not get the ball out of the infield and the tying run was left stranded 90 feet away.
The Wildcats broke the game open in the eighth with six runs, three of which scored on a towering home run by tournament MVP Collin Cowgill. A groundout brought home the first run, while a two-run double capped the frame.
"The six-run inning just broke our backs," Head Coach Steve Kittrell said. "(Kentucky) swung the bats well when they had to and we walked way too many people. I thought we battled hard, but we have to get better on offense and have better efforts in middle relief. I saw a lot of pluses this weekend, but this is a tough loss. When you play good people, you can't make too many mistakes."
Lance Baxter (0-1) took the loss for the Jaguars despite allowing only two earned runs in five innings. He struck out six, while walking three. In the other dugout, Greg Dombrowski (1-0) gained the win, by scattering five hits over five innings. Only one of his three allowed runs were earned.
The teams combined for seven errors (four by UK) and 17 hits. The Wildcats held a 9-8 advantage in that category.
Jernigan finished the game 3-for-4 with a run scored, while Bohannon also had a pair of hits.
In the opener, South Alabama rallied from an early 2-0 deficit and hung on for a 6-5 win over Xavier. The Jaguars gained half of the two runs they gave away in the top of the first, by manufacturing one in the bottom of the frame. A double-steal attempt by Kruml and Clint Toomey, both of whom had walked, forced a throwing error.
Four runs came across in the fourth, starting with a lead-off home run by Jernigan, the team's first of the year. Bunky Kateon drove in a pair of runs with an RBI double and Kruml plated Kateon with a sacrifice fly.
Xavier closed to a single run twice after that, first with two runs in the sixth, then answering a Jaguar score in the eighth with one in the ninth. South Alabama's insurance run came on a fielder's choice by Kruml.
Kevin Nabors earned the win, going 5.1 innings, while Greg Johnson picked up the save by pitching the final 1.2 innings, allowing only a sacrifice fly after facing runners on second and third with one out in the Musketeers' final at-bat.
South Alabama now hits the road for the first time in 2008 this week, facing Jackson State and Southern Miss on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively. The latter game will be broadcast live on WNSP-FM (105.5).
